Your Curse, My Salvation
by Wing of Darkness
Summary: AU. Luffy ate a fruit which led him to dangerous and unknown conditions. King Shanks, his father, had arranged a marriage for him with one of the Yonko in a desperate move to secure the safety of their kingdom. Disagreement between father and son pushed Luffy to dive into a deeper risk named...Zoro. ZoLu.
1. Prologue

**Greetings! Fans of One Piece and ZoroxLuffy pairing! I've currently caught on the latest episodes of One Piece…since beginning college, I kind of abandoned it to concentrate on studying. Anyway, here I am back on track with my undying "fangirl" streak in the yaoi "shipping" department.**

**I am new in this fandom actually, but in the past I've tried writing a LuNa fic which, unfortunately, only ended up being a one chapter unfinished story. Moving on! I hope you like what my brain has composed shipping Luffy and Zoro.**

**Just to remind you people, this is an AU fic so yeah…there will be no 'Oh Captain, My Captain!' situations here.**

**xXOOOXx**

**Complete Summary:**** Luffy is the only heir to the throne of Red Empire. Shanks, his father, had kept him in the dark about an arranged marriage with one of the Yonko. Reason for this secret? Luffy has acquired an ability no one would even dare imagine a man could have. And his royal bloodline adds interest to those who want to gain this power. But is it really power…? Or a curse? Aside from Shanks, only ****Luffy**** would know. ****And it is as they say, "unexpected things are bound to happen".**

**Notes:**** Alternate Universe, Most of the characters will be positioned into different roles, Some OOCness.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, but I definitely pretend that I'm Eiichiro Oda…sometimes…..heeeheheehehee :D**

**On with the story! Sorry for the ginormous author's note!**

**xXOOOXx**

**Title:**

**YOUR CURSE, MY SALVATION**

**xXOOOXx**

**PROLOGUE**

There it was again.

The sensation of coldness embracing every part of his body. The inability to move a single limb, the helplessness he was feeling as he sunk deeper into the dark abyss. His eyes not recognizing which part of the ocean he has been thrown into. Murky atmosphere suddenly engulfing the last line of light he has been mocked with.

He had hoped several times for a miracle to happen—the chance of being able to fight back the current pulling him down, the chance to haul himself out of the water, and the chance to see the beauty of the sun reflecting on the very sea trying to take the last spark of life from him. The dim hint of hope was always nowhere to be seen and so he decided to just always give up on whatever end he was destined to have.

He was kind of used to this. But who would, really? Drowning does not include an everyday surviving scenario. Eventually, the god of death will be tired of playing with people's lives and soon take what was supposed to be the reason for its existence.

_But when will that happen? I'm not afraid of death, but I'm afraid for the people I will be leaving when that happens._

He was already smiling even before opening his eyes to the bright light seeping through the partially opened curtains of his floor to ceiling windows. It was ironic how his face got this kind of expression when not too long ago, he was dreaming about the end of his existence. He lifted his hand to block the prying rays attempting to sting his eyes and realized that he may have left the windows slightly open for there were strong winds trying to ghost over into the room. Shifting slowly to sit up, he nonchalantly threw the heavy royal duvets away from his legs and started approaching the vast expanse of sliding glass doors noble architects seemed to believe as the fitting type of windows for royalties. Each step made him wince for the reason that this time, his dream kind of prolonged its duration. It was a sudden and uncalled for occurrence in his usually baffling night escapades during sleep.

Stopping in his way to the curtains, he brought his thumb and forefinger on his temples and started putting circular pressures, massaging them. He didn't notice the sound of his door clicking and opening but let the monotonous tone of heels tapping the marble floor make way towards his intended destination. In one quick motion, his thick, red curtains obscured the offending light securely. It wasn't as if he hated the sun, but today it was just giving off a much-brighter-and-blinding type of light.

"Thanks Nami." He smiled at her cousin who was looking at him strangely.

Within a second, she was invading his personal space and taking him by surprise.

"Wha—" Nami raised her hand, palm face to face with her cousin.

"Hmmm…you've dreamt about it again?" The same palm cupped her cousin's right cheek in an affectionate gesture. "Tell me what happened now, Luffy." She was looking at him with an understanding that could comfort every uncertainty that was bothering him.

Luffy smiled, although the tiredness reflecting on the state of his face took away some of its brightness. He has darker bags under his eyes, paler complexion due to stress, and the slight twitches of his fingers sold him out to the scrutinizing and ever-knowing eyes of his cousin. He sighed in defeat but only waved his head.

"Still the same." He paused for a moment to consider something. "Hmmm…maybe it went a little longer this time…?" He trailed off and began laughing in an attempt to lighten his mood. "But you know, I'm still here so there's nothing to worry about."

A strong clutch on both of his shoulders surprised him and he was faced with an angry expression from her cousin.

"What do you mean 'it went longer this time'?! Don't try joking about this! Have you seen yourself in the mirror? You look like a mess! Your dreams are always the same, you say? It stays the same because it's meant to warn you about something! Something…" Nami tried to find a word, slightly breathing hard due to her sudden outburst. Unfortunately, she wouldn't dare name any negative possibility involving her beloved cousin. "Just…" She looked away but kept her hands on Luffy's shoulders. With nothing else she could find to say, instead she gave him the strong embrace of a concerned older sister.

Luffy leaned into the contact and mimicked Nami's action. He couldn't blame her from worrying. A lot of people have been worried about him, even before the time he started having this particular dream of drowning and being engulfed by darkness. The King's people and his as well, have always watched out for him. Being the only heir to the throne was a very crucial responsibility held by the ruler of the Red Empire and his warriors. Without someone from the royal bloodline to take the throne, the worst of fears was that anyone could force himself in the position of the King. It was every Kingdom's nightmare.

But this particular dream he'd been having for the past month may have been caused by an unlikely incident that happened while he was being taught to hunt. The chosen training ground was located at a certain part of the forest. Although it was the less dangerous part, unexpected things were still bound to happen.

Luffy had always been praised for being a fast learner. His eyes were sharp and his movements sleek. He could go from one place to another without giving out a single clue to the prey that it was being hunted. For three hours of hunting with little guidance from his mentor, Yasopp, he was able to bring back two average-size deer and one young brown bear. He only brought the bear cub for show as he had only shot it in one of its paws. The arrow was shot carefully just to make the cub slow down and not endure a life-threatening wound.

"_Oi Luffy! What are you doing with that cub?" Yasopp asked as he watched the prince cautiously remove the arrow from the bear. _

"_I just really wanted to hold one up close!" Luffy concentrated on the task he was doing while remembering Chopper's pointers about the 'proper way of lending out a hand in the infirmary department'._

_There was a small cry that came out from the baby bear as the arrow was eventually released. Luffy was shocked for a second; thinking if he had actually damaged a vein in the cub's paw. He sighed in relief when the baby bear began standing once again as if no wound was involved earlier. Luffy reached for his first aid pouch and expertly cleaned and wrapped the small injury._

"_I'm sorry little one. I couldn't get a hold of you the normal way. I just really wanted to see if we could be friends!" Luffy spoke the way he usually does with the children of their kingdom. It was as if talking to a human child instead of a brown bear cub. "Here!" Luffy slowly reached out a candied apple towards the animal._

_Yasopp rolled his eyes. The display earlier was cute, he would say that, but now Luffy was being too child-like for a twenty-year-old prince. Giving a sweet treat to a baby cub? Seriously._

"_Luffy. That's enough now all right. The mother of that cub is already looking for it—" Luffy gave him a glare for calling the animal 'it' but he ignored it, "—so we better go." He continued with a thumb pointing back to where they entered the forest. _

_Luffy ignored him as well and played with the cub. Surprisingly, the young prince had the ability of taming animals and making them his 'friends' in a sense of the word. But how could anyone not befriend a prince who was too down to earth and with the behavior of an eight-year-old? _

_Yasopp was about to say something again to Luffy when he heard the prince gasp in surprise. He immediately knelt down beside him and started pushing away the cub._

"_What? What did he do? Did he bite you? Where? Tell me where!" Luffy's mentor suddenly switched to his overprotective mode. He might have laughed if it wasn't for the thought that he knew Yasopp was aware of how wild animals' saliva contains bacteria that cause certain infections and illnesses._

"_Don't! Don't push the cub away! He didn't do anything. He didn't bite me." Luffy shifted to grasp the fallen fruit the cub gave him. Where the cub hid it, he didn't bother thinking about. "He just gave me this! In exchange for the apple I gave him!" Luffy grinned wide and moved over to where the cub had backed away. _

"_Wh—what?" Yasopp regarded the fruit. _

_It looked strange. Instead of two leaves sprouted from a core alongside a stem, they were wrapped around the whole of the fruit. The skin, as he observed from portions where the leaves didn't cover it, was the color of sakura blossoms with a texture of a ragged pattern. When he touched it, Luffy reluctantly handing it to him for inspection, it was soft and it gave out a scent that he was familiar with but couldn't put into words. _

"_Do you think it is edible?" Luffy asked. He was finally gesturing for the cub to go back to his mother. Luffy would miss him, but they would really be in trouble if the mother bear finds her cub with a human. _

_Yasopp took awhile observing the fruit, but he didn't have the slightest assurance that this particular produce was edible. He had no idea where the cub might have picked it up. It did smell great though, no matter how he couldn't decipher the familiarity of the scent, and when he slowly unwrapped the leaves from the fruit it gave off an appetizing charm. _

"_I'm not sure but we sho—" Yasopp's words were cut short as the fruit was snatched out of his hands in a lightning speed and the next thing he knew, he was hearing its flesh being devoured by his prince._

"_Prince!" He shouted in a panic and was too late to steal back the fruit, as the only thing left was the stem thrown at the side of Luffy's place. "Ohh….Oh no….." He immediately paled and trembled. "The King…he might k—kk—kill me for this!" Yasopp mumbled words about his impending demise. _

"_Don't worry Yasopp-sensei!" The young prince slapped his back to snap him out of mumbling about dying. "I don't feel anything weird. And it tasted good!" Luffy stood up and brushed off dirt from his hunting robes, all the while smiling in satisfaction. "Come on. Let's go back. That single fruit really made me hungry." _

_The time they went back Yasopp observed silently for any signs or even the smallest change from Luffy. Was the fruit really safe? He didn't recognize its features but he might really be worrying too much about it. And Luffy seemed to act normal as he downed several servings of food all throughout dinner. He sighed and went back to his own quarters to prepare for the one month mission the King has asked of him. _

…

_Three days after the hunting trip….__**it began**__._

_There was suddenly a time when Luffy, out of the blue, collapsed while he was in the East Wing Drawing room discussing some topic with Nami. He fell straight towards the carpeted floor even as Nami scurried to catch him. He was reaching out blindly, gasping for air, and scratching the floor with his nails as if he was in pain. And he was, indeed. The sensation was so sudden; it took him off guard and gave him the strangest shifting motion in his insides. He couldn't explain it due to alarming reasons. It was as if his guts were twisting on its own, affecting his lungs and making it hard for him to breathe. He could barely hear Nami's screams for help._

_When he was starting to black out, sweat dripping down the sides of his face, everything abruptly stopped._

_Even...his breathing._

…

_It took about a whole day for a swarm of doctors, led by Chopper and Doctorene, to make sense of what went wrong. In the end though, there wasn't much to explain. They said Luffy had an 'attack' [that much was obvious]; of what kind, they didn't know, they couldn't tell. As if what just occurred was beyond their expertise. _

_The King was outraged because of this. But as the good King that he was, Shanks didn't blame any of his servants and the doctors. Somehow, at the back of his mind he had encountered this kind of symptom before and couldn't spot the reason why it felt like he didn't want to know what it actually was._

_Shanks looked back down on his only son, terrifyingly still as he slept through the unknown pain. The rare sight was making his chest hurt and caused various possibilities flood in his mind. In order to stop his pessimism, he got off the chair and went to look out the window. _

_Tonight was a full moon. Oddly so, there were no stars scattered on the dusky horizon. _

_The luminous bright orb can be seen through his son's window seeming to look a bit bigger than it should. Since he was currently feeling unnerved by Luffy's condition, his observations concerning other things were inevitably escalated. He noticed that there was something different about the moon. The glow was brighter than usual, like a firefly's radiance underneath the cloak of darkness. And as strange as it already is, it appeared to project its own rays on a particular spot. Letting this take off his mind from worrying about his son for just a bit, he traced where the rays were directed. His eyes landed on a singled-out tree, with an obvious statement of standing out from others._

_The tree itself was glowing, almost sparkling with the moon's rays. The leaves were the color of the lightest and brightest shade of pink—as if it was shy of blushing by itself among the shadowed trees and trying to blind out its real tint._

_Shanks missed for a second the sound of Luffy's weak groaning. The second time the ill prince did so, Shanks didn't wait for another second to pass to go beside his son's bed and calm him from whatever bad dream that was now plaguing his son's sleep._

"_Come on, son. Luffy, it's okay. I'm here. Your father's here." Shanks held onto his son's both hands and rubbed them gently. The gesture didn't help ease Luffy's state at once, but only after several strokes and lots of reassuring whispers. _

_The King didn't know why, but he had the sudden urge to look back at the strange tree._

_What he saw though was only the faint glow of the moon and the darkness looming over the trees in the forest. Shanks turned away from the abrupt change and began praying to every god he knew. _

…

_The day after Luffy had woken up, he started having headaches instead of the severe attack he went through. For the next few days, he was rejecting any food that was served to him. He also began having dreams where he always found himself deep into the ocean and trying desperately to breathe…all to no avail._

_This went on for weeks until Luffy, as impossible as it may be, got used to the drowning dreams and the occasional lack of energy. But he would never accept the fact that his father had forbidden him to train outside of their kingdom…or rather, forbidden him to get out of their castle's vicinity altogether._

…

"I know you're bored." Nami heard Luffy's sarcastic laugh. A laugh that could rarely be heard from the prince.

"Understatement of the year." Luffy almost rolled his eyes but chose to gently pull back from Nami's embrace and approach one of his wardrobes. He pulled out a white bath towel and his red bathrobe.

For a month he had been following the same routine. Waking up from his tedious dream, getting up and taking a bath, and then either horseback riding or reading some books. He was afraid that he was beginning to get used to it. Sadly, being trapped in your own home [rather castle] for a month could make someone resort to these monotonous activities instead of dying due to boredom.

Nami remained silent as she watched her cousin prepare for his day. Only before Luffy entered the door to his bathroom did she speak. The young prince looked at her curiously when she didn't notice the wide grin she was sporting. She leaned on Luffy while his back faced her and pressed her cheek to his, holding the sides of his arms.

"I have a surprise for you."

Honestly, if it weren't for the mischievous expression Nami had and the tone of her voice when she whispered what the surprise was about, Luffy would have just shrugged and went straight to taking a dip in his tub. What made him perk up in interest though were Nami's next words.

"Uncle has left early today to do some business in the neighboring country. We could do something…" Nami paused just for the sake of the thrill. "…outside."

If this were another normal day when he was free to do whatever he wanted to, it wouldn't matter so much to be compared as a surprise. Also, he would have immediately asked and worry about the reason his own father didn't give him the heads up about suddenly leaving and doing some business in another kingdom. Being adventure hungry has reduced the young prince for taking a bolder behavior, even if it would be against the King's orders.

"You don't have to ask the maids to prepare your suit. I'll be the one to do it." Nami winked and shoved him gently inside his bathroom. She couldn't remove the grin on her face just watching Luffy brighten up in excitement.

_Well…for a guy like Luffy? One month without an adventure would really kill him._

She turned back towards her cousin's wardrobe and picked simple ones he could use to go out for town. She would have to return to her room to lend him her casual-looking cloak since the prince doesn't own something that wasn't too flashy for a commoner's taste.

…

Luffy was singing softly.

They were already outside the castle and was treading towards the small theater located in the middle part of town. The place wasn't actually a theater but a mimic of one as the stage will not be found inside a brick house building. The set up of the show was only covered and surrounded by a very big tent, an enough size for loyal viewers and fans of the actors who always come to watch their show. There were no worries regarding the durability of the tent as this was made with a very thick type of canvass and lined with another layer of cotton fabric from the inside.

He stopped and a wide smile parted his lips in awe. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed this theater before. But then this was also the first time he was able to visit the inner part of the town. Due to security reasons and caution about hiding the identity of the prince until he was of age for the throne, he was not allowed to wander on unknown territory. The guards were all aware of it, but since they were keeping low profiles during these visits, they couldn't afford to let the prince be vulnerable in the dark side of towns. Surely the King was doing so well keeping peace within his jurisdiction but the ironic reality was that there would always be people who were up to taking advantage of others.

"Today they will be presenting a new adventure story." Nami whispered beside him and Luffy had gotten more excited by the news.

"What kind of adventure?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Pirates. I believe 'One Piece' is the title." Nami answered and began pulling Luffy to a seat.

Local viewers were fast getting their own seats while others who came a bit late didn't complain about having to stand. Children and families were also around. Kids around Luffy and Nami's age were the majority.

"They're really popular, huh?" Nami observed as she looked around, securing her own cloak [lighter color compared to Luffy's] as she did so.

"Yeah!" Luffy responded, sounding like his usual self.

Nami watched her cousin intently. She was really happy she thought of bringing Luffy out. It was an impromptu idea since she wasn't also aware of her Uncle's rather sudden trip. But that may have been a blessing in disguise. There would be less suspicion when they get back. And maybe, if she could make Luffy forget about his dreams for a while, he wouldn't look so weary like how she often saw him for the past month.

She was a bit surprised by the hand that gave a squeeze on hers.

"It's starting." Luffy whispered as he focused his attention on the show.

**xXOOOXx**

**Phew! That was…uhmmm well, I should consider a long prologue? Or rather a boring one. I know, I know, this chapter only talked about several topics all at once. But basically this chapter gives an introduction about Luffy having dreams and his condition. It is not clear yet but I'll eventually get to that.**

**I hope you like it….even just a bit. I just had to write something that has been bugging me, even during sleep. And well, I'm not an expert but I do want to explore on Luffy being a prince…and not being so….Luffy [like in One Piece]**

**Also, the pace of the story will be about slowly introducing other characters in different chapters. **

**Sorry for the long note! I hope you stay tune and give me your comments/reviews! THANKS! **


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! Thanks for your reviews, follows, and faves. I'm really glad when people take notice of my works. And so here it is! The official first chapter!**

**xXOOOXx**

**Complete Summary:**** Luffy is the only heir to the throne of Red Empire. Shanks, his father, had kept him in the dark about an arranged marriage with one of the Yonko. Reason for this secret? Luffy has acquired an ability no one would even dare imagine a man could have. And his royal bloodline adds interest to those who want to gain this power. But is it really power…? Or a curse? Aside from Shanks, only ****Luffy**** would know. **

**And it is as they say, "unexpected things are bound to happen".**

**Notes:**** Alternate Universe, Most of the characters will be positioned into different roles, Some OOCness.**

**Italicized words – **_**Flashback or Thoughts**_

**Ellipses […] – Either ****Time skip**** or Jumping to a ****Different situation**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, but I definitely pretend that I'm Eiichiro Oda…sometimes…..heeeheheehehee :D**

**xXOOOXx**

**Title:**

**YOUR CURSE, MY SALVATION**

**xXOOOXx**

**CHAPTER ONE**

Shanks was gritting his teeth so hard he was almost drawing blood. His eyes were wide in shock and there was a hint of fear in them as he stared blankly at the images reflected on the mirror laid out in front of him. This mirror was not an ordinary type of mirror. It was made with fragments of a meteor crystal that landed upon its chosen island. The mystical item was the spiritual treasure of the Astrologia Kingdom only accessed by the renowned astrologist, Madam Sharley.

The said mirror reflects the most important events that may happen in the future. The meteor crystals, from what it was made of, projected a certain power to look through time holes. Of how it gained its ability, no one has ever really able to know. However, with its existence also came the predictions of happenings around the world. Some of them were about how the Drum Island eventually became the Sakura Island, the destruction that occurred in the Ennies Lobby, and other universal news that changed the world for what it was now.

And right at this moment, Shanks was seeing, for the first time, something that may bring demise to their Kingdom.

The King of the Red Empire wasn't actually one to believe such things from a supernatural source claiming to speak of the future. What made him tremble dangerously though, abysmal anxiousness making cold sweat trickle down his temples, was the fact that the mirror reflected of his son's face. Luffy, his only son and his most important treasure, was there in that damned wall of crystal seeming to be obscured by several other familiar and yet unknown entities. The smiling face of his son was there and at the next scene, he has this indescribable expression. There were three kinds of blade present as well as other unrecognizable people surrounding him and morphing into chaos. Then the images became wilder; gigantic waves of the ocean moved in that dangerous swing and flooding over Luffy's face, wind clashing with everything on its path, and an explosion occurring in the middle of it all. Suddenly, amidst the full breeze of cherry blossoms, there was a moving image of a stranger wearing black ribbon over his head and a slender hand desperately reaching out for him.

That scene went on until the mist-like images disclosed the sight of sparkling fallen tears slowly morphing into the middle of the mirror and vanishing completely.

Shanks almost reached out before the images died out from the crystal mirror but he regained himself and clenched his fists instead. His head was staring down at the base of the mirror, pondering what was the meaning behind the flow of images it showed to him. He was confused at certain parts of the prediction but at most, he was dreadfully worried about the wellbeing of his son. He was aware that Luffy had not been aware of this sudden trip to another Kingdom, but it was for the best…

_But was it, really? _

After meeting up with all of the prince's mentors for the past days, he was beyond concerned about what might have caused for Luffy to suddenly fall ill with an unknown disease eating up all his energy in complicated intervals.

All of them reported about the prince's progress in various fields and none of them mentioned about the prince encountering anything strange during his trainings. It was until he had the chance to talk with Yasopp [who just came back, merely yesterday, from the mission he tasked of him about taking care of some wild livestock check], that he had a faint idea of what may have happened to his precious son. Yasopp was extremely apologetic and fearful when he began talking about the bizarre fruit a bear cub handed to Luffy. He told the King about its appearance and how the prince stole it from his hand while searching the fruit for any similarity with other produces they had in the Kingdom.

"_The leaves were wrapped around the fruit. The color's similar to a…a…uhh—a peach! Yes, a peach! But there's a slight difference. It's not entirely light orange in color but definitely lighter than that." Yasopp stuttered as he remembered the image of the strange fruit in his mind. _

"_Like the color of a peach…was it the shade of pink?" Shanks interrupted, noticing the almost unintelligible rush of words flooding out of his friend's mouth. He doesn't blame the hunter for speaking this nervous, although he never knew he had a side like this. He knew for certain that Yasopp had been really alarmed as soon as heard the news concerning the prince's condition. Shanks had gone through the same thing, only worse._

"_And then it was giving this…this familiar scent. But I can't really tell from where I recognize it. It's…I can't really explain. The smell is very distinct." Yasopp stopped. His eyes had taken that distant look, trying to search through his thoughts a reason why he found the scent memorable._

_ Shanks was in the same state. What Yasopp have told him sounded so clear that it reminded him of a long ago incident. It was an incident that made him wish, [in anguish] for the very first time, not to have been born from a royal family. It was about his wife, Queen Makino…the moment he lost her forever. He could still remember it clearly. The smiles of his wife were as innocent and as sweet as Luffy's despite the pain no one immediately noticed she had been experiencing. And even now, it still hurt to see the very features of her face showered upon Luffy's. _

_Oh but he loved them both. He loves them so dearly. In turn with the death of his wife, Luffy was more than enough to complete a very big loss from his heart. _

…

"I know I'm not in the right place to tell you this…Your Highness…" Madam Sharley hesitated as she laid a warm palm over Shanks' cold ones. "—but your wife came to visit me before in secret." She stopped, staring at the King's gesture telling her about his turn to speak before everything else.

"I know." Shanks straightened his posture and showed the astrologist the full gait of a strong King. "She knew of her impotence about carrying a child."

Sharley gasped in a short bout of surprise and cleared her throat to speak.

"She had asked if the gods have not abandoned her…" Her eyebrows creased as the image of the late Queen appeared in her memory, the memory of the beloved lady's desperate plea to be given the ability to bear a child. "—…and re—requested me if she could take a look about her future." The astrologist paused, her voice broken and a sad expression lingering on her face as she struggled to continue.

"One look at her eyes and I saw…I—I—…" At this moment, Sharley's lips were now trembling. Tears had begun to fall from her eyes.

The astrologist breathed a gulp of air.

"The crystal showed her the future." The look she gave the King was straightforward despite trying to battle with her own emotions.

Shanks was about to move his lips to return some kind of response and tell the astrologist that he didn't need to know further details as it was already painful enough to have been given no choice but to accept the past. Still, after composing herself, Sharley made the decision to share what she had witnessed that day.

"The tree of the future was to give her the child she longs for but in exchange of her own life. There was only so much pressure and burden her body could take, but the mirror presented her with the chance she had prayed for every night."

"Are you telling me that the knowledge of future itself have the ability to control the past?" Shanks sounded lost, but he was understandably coming to a wrong conclusion.

"It doesn't bring forth any power to alter the past. Instead, it offers explanations to individuals who see the future, that they are given chances to prove themselves wrong of what they currently believe in."

Now, Shanks was left behind. The astrologist sounded to be speaking in riddles despite her words being as upfront as it was.

"These predictions of the future are never to be disturbed. What was seen to happen **must** happen."

The King no longer gave the chance for Sharley to continue with her next words. Shanks had already stood up and was nearing the door, his heavy royal cape trailing behind him like a wild tail of a dragon.

With this, Sharley already knew that the King was ready to defy the future. She stood up so fast she knocked down the table where the teas served to them laid and now was scattering all over in pieces and spillage, indecently staining the carpeted floor.

"Your Highness! You must learn not to let your emotions heed the warnings of the future! If it was changed, more dangerous things will occur. It may not only take one life but of the many!" She cried towards the King in an attempt to plea.

"So…you would rather tell me to give up on the very precious reason why my Queen had to die?"

The voice of the red-haired king was so deep and cold that it chilled the bones of the astrologist. Not soon after, she collapsed on the floor with a body trembling so dangerously it was agonizingly cruel for the fact that she had not yet completely passed out.

The echo of the door closing rang in her ears.

_Was I wrong? _

She asked the question in her mind before finally blacking out.

…

"Oh…oohh! That had been cool! I like the character of the captain!" Luffy said while carrying the smile that was all his.

They have just come back from town and had enough time to fold their cloaks back into their rucksacks carefully tied up to their horses.

"Ehhh…? He's too childish for my taste." Nami commented thoughtfully.

"How dare you Nami!" Luffy faced his cousin while pouting. "It's not about being a captain at a very young age! Just moving forward according to his dreams without letting anybody trying to stop him, that's real freedom." The prince was nodding to his own statement.

Although the prince possessed a very child-like way of thinking, too simple-minded for an heir to a throne, his words always carry the definition of truth and sincerity. Every time he spoke of his dreams and goals, it addressed a very strong kind of power to influence others so greatly. There was no need for complicated and painstakingly long speeches in order to gain the attention of the mass, the prince's honesty and purity was enough to move a mountain.

"Hmmm…is that so? Then I guess I like him too." Nami smiled at Luffy's wide grin.

_This trip had been so fruitful. _She thought and suddenly halted in her strides, hearing one of Luffy's mentors. Her cousin must have stopped as well when the only echoes to be heard were from the person who was approaching them with a panicked expression.

"Luffy! Prince! I—" Yasopp panted as he regained his breathing. "I was looking all over the place for you!" =**Cough= **"Where have you been?" **=Cough= =Cough=**

Luffy was silent for a moment.

"I just went horseback riding with Nami!" He smiled at his mentor and gave him a worried look. "Yasopp-sensei, are you alright?" Luffy was about to reach one of his arms to help his mentor straighten up but Yasopp moved faster, reaching for his instead.

"You lost weight…" Yasopp whispered, his eyes beginning to water while he searched for any other changes his pupil accumulated this past month.

"It's…It's my fau~~~~lt…!" The great hunter wailed, loud enough for the whole kingdom to hear about his failure as a mentor.

Luffy had a second-long urge to laugh at the stupid-looking face of his crying mentor but then the unexpected moment of anger won in him. Yasopp instantly stopped his bawling by the speed and firmness of the arm he was, a millisecond moment ago, was holding.

"I don't blame anyone for the own mistake I've made. I caused this myself. I ate the fruit without considering what you were telling me so I deserve this punishment."

The two persons currently nearest Luffy were both shocked.

The prince sighed.

"I just wanted to say that I've learned my lesson not to eat bizarre fruits without the approval from the entire laboratory council of Red Empire." The grin was back on his face.

When his mentor's face remained oddly impassive, he spoke again.

"Come on Yasopp-sensei. The past few weeks I've been weakened by this strange food poisoning? I really learned my lesson. I'm feeling alright now. In fact, I feel great today! And now I'm hungry!" He gave a friendly slap on his mentor's shoulder and raised his other arm as he walked.

"Yosh! Nami! To the kitchen!"

"You mean the banquet hall?" Nami rolled her eyes but laughed alongside her cheerful cousin.

_Yep! The trip had been a blast to both of them. But one day of going outside will not be enough. Besides, One Piece will have another episode. _

…

Shanks hated to make a decision, especially when it meant that he has to take that 'right' away from his own son. He didn't have a choice. He could not afford to let things happen and let whatever that stupid mirror showed him to actually unfold before his eyes. He wasn't a reckless King and he would never be firm about something that offered only temporary solution. He will do something that might completely change the course of the future. But before finalizing his resolution, he must take an important detour along the path to his way home.

"Haah!" He growled. His horse galloped faster by the signal in his voice, its steel hooves stumping on the ground with loud, heavy thuds as if the earth shook beneath both of their power.

Pebbles and soil flew up by the whiplash swerve the King made with his black stallion as they went nearer towards their destination. Shanks was sure where he might find that particular mammoth of a tree was located. He remembered it from his memory; clearly mapped where the moon struck it with its unusual rays present at the very night his son fell ill. Navigating its site code in the spread of the forest would be easy.

He halted once he reached the spot. Indeed, there was the tree so huge it looked like it wasn't supposed to be there. It stood out in that ancient mysterious appeal that the other trees in the forest would never dare contest to.

The red-haired king raised his head until his eyes reached the top of the tree. His gaze was too high up he never bothered worrying about how much its height actually measured. The only thing that got most of his attention was the fact that there was something wrong in the picture.

Shanks led his horse to another tree and tied a rope around the trunk to secure the beast from the possibility of running away by some random distraction. He approached the strange tree once again and was aggravated by what he was not seeing. Surely he was able to get the location correctly? No doubt. But where were the fruits Yasopp had described to him? Where were the sparkling pink leaves that were supposed to be in place of the ordinary dull-looking green leaves?

_I have to stay calm._ The King closed his eyes. _I have to search for the signs. I need to understand something!_ His fists clenched at his sides.

"_It has become so beautiful! Look! It's blooming!"_

Shanks stilled by the unexpected appearance of the memory. As he stood alone before the soaring tree, all the details and emotions radiating from that 'time' embraced his whole being until its own story brought him to its dimension.

_Makino has her hands clasped together, her face brimming with satisfaction and wonder at the fully-grown tree in front of her. Her expression greatly resembled Bell-mere's reaction whenever she learned of a new hidden treasure. _

_She reached out her hands and caressed the surface of the tree as she would a child. Shanks was a little confused about this since the mystical-looking tree looked as sturdy as the foundations that keep their enormous castle upright. Also, the trunk itself composed of several thick branches twisted altogether to build up this humungous mammoth. The only thing that looked delicate amongst the barricade of strength and durability was its flower-like leaves. They were the color of cotton cherries, slightly resembling the tint possessed by peaches, and its scent emanated the distinct fragrance that can only be found from a woman. Why Shanks said this so, it was because it reached the very core of his virility to an unexplainable extent._

_The scent itself was like a temptation; an irony to the purest of thoughts currently invading his heart and mind. _

_The King was surprised, as his wife had already begun praying at the foot of the tree. Makino didn't pay attention to the roots' dirt staining her royal dress beneath her knees. Her veiled head was bowed slightly and palms clasped together. She had her eyes closed while whispering words of thanks and wishes._

_Shanks only watched in endearment. Despite the fact that he had no idea if this specific tree were a holy one, he would let his wife do her prayer in silence and without hurry. For several more minutes he waited and had almost missed Makino already approaching beside him._

"_What are you daydreaming about, my King?" Makino leaned towards him, speaking in that teasing voice of hers. She was always fond of using that tone when mocking her husband's title. It was her way of telling him that calling him 'King' or 'Your Highness' doesn't really suit him, looking so rugged like that. _

_Instead of giving her their usual banter about this issue, he pulled her close to his chest and inhaled the flower that was his wife. _

"_Why does my flower kneel down before a tree and never gave a similar treatment to her King?" Shanks teased back. But the look in his eyes as he stared at hers held sincerity and love. _

_Makino leaned her head on his cheek, smiling and blushing at the same time. She couldn't help but give this kind of reaction for she never got over of thinking about actually becoming the King's wife—of being the Red Empire's Queen. She could still remember the time when she was helplessly crushing on the rugged Crown Prince until her father has introduced her to the King. Makino, being born from a noble family, was recommended to be one of the Crown Prince's chosen brides. These chosen brides will then be put to test and will each have the chance to get to know the prince and vice versa. Shanks will then make the final decision and propose to his chosen bride._

_It didn't actually take long for them to fall in love with each other. As soon as they were both introduced, they have immediately detected a certain kind of connection. Soon after, they were married and officially announced as the new King and Queen. _

_Shanks found himself smiling. His wife's teen-like antiques were really the best trigger to brighten up his day. He was unconsciously rubbing the back of Makino's neck when he felt the small vibration on her throat while she spoke._

"_I want us to have a child…" Her voice was so small and unsure that Shanks wanted right away to stop the start of this familiar conversation._

_Makino pulled away once she felt the tightening of her husband's hold. She cleared her throat and looked at him straight in the eye as she began again._

"_I want to give you a child. I want to bear a strong child that would so rightfully become your heir." The faltering of her serious expression betrayed her confidence. She backed away until she was an arm's length from her husband. _

"_I have asked a doctor from a neighboring country to check my body's state and they said that I would just have to be patient and be strong…then I would finally have the strength to bear a child." She was proud of herself to have said these words without stuttering. It broke her heart to watch her King's smile._

_Shanks was smiling brighter this time. It was a genuine smile but it wasn't the smile of reassurance. He had been very supportive during their hard times when the King was finally coming to accept the fact that they wouldn't be able to introduce an heir to the Kingdom. And Makino appreciated all of his efforts. She knew Shanks wasn't disappointed in her. What made her desperate was the fact that she was disappointed in herself. This was the reason she has poured all of her time and prayers in growing this particular tree. This sacred symbol would provide her the gift she so greatly needed._

"_Then we will have a child." Shanks spoke after a stretch of silence between them. _

_Makino let tears flow from her eyes. She stopped trying to control the trembling of her lips and let a sob escape. She ran towards her husband, arms reaching out for him and finally falling into the strong embrace of the King._

_Shanks let his faith spill and prayed to every god for a child to be born from their flesh and blood. _

…

"You have been neglected." Shanks reached out one arm to touch and lay his palm on the trunk of the tree his wife had adored.

"Forgive me, my friend. You have given me the most precious thing I have and yet I have almost forgotten about you." His bowed head leaned over the tree's surface.

"Tell me…what I should do now? Don't take away the gift my wife has left this kingdom. D—Don't take my son from me." His left fist pounded on the hard wooden wall. "You have showed me your form…I didn't mean to overlook that sign. My—my son has gotten so ill!" He shouted as if hopelessly asking for some response. Whether it was for forgiveness or the cure for his son's sickness, maybe even both.

A warm breeze caressed his hands and blew away his hair to the side. The King looked up and the once green leaves now glowed into pink-colored blossoms. Another breeze came and this time, it twirled around the tree in light traces reaching for the flower-like leaves. A rain of pink petals soon followed.

The rain then turned into a whirlwind of pink leaves, wild and cutting as it involved other leaves of the trees. The red-haired king caught one of the pink blossoms by accident and his eyes widened as it turned to ash in the gentlest of touches.

Shanks watched the display and realized the symbolism of the scene happening around him.

Luffy was getting near his independent age. He was turning twenty-one soon. In three months to be exact. And Shanks has to take action.

For several moments, this scene carried on. It was until an abrupt slash from the sky struck the ground that it stopped and everything went instantly back to the way it was before. The pink leaves turned to green ones, the destruction was cleared away, and the once sturdy-looking tree seemed to appear less powerful. The aura it emanated before has completely dissipated.

"If this is your solution…" Shanks untied the rope of his horse from the trunk he had engaged him to and jumped over his beast's back. "—then so be it."

_Luffy, I would not ask for your forgiveness in this…_

One nudge on the horse's side and he was riding back to his kingdom.

**xXOOOXx**

**End of chapter! Yay!**

**Thanks guys for the reviews once again. I hope you like this update. Also, I apologize for putting so many flashbacks in here. It was the only way to organize my way of explaining things about some certain facts in the story.**

**Hoping for your Reviews! Thanks! **


	3. Chapter 2

**Complete Summary:**** Luffy is the only heir to the throne of Red Empire. Shanks, his father, had kept him in the dark about an arranged marriage with one of the Yonko. Reason for this secret? Luffy has acquired an ability no one would even dare imagine a man could have. And his royal bloodline adds interest to those who want to gain this power. But is it really power…? Or a curse? Aside from Shanks, only ****Luffy**** would know.**

**And it is as they say, "unexpected things are bound to happen".**

**Notes:**** Alternate Universe, Most of the characters will be positioned into different roles, Some OOCness.**

**Italicized words – **_**Flashback or Thoughts**_

**Ellipses […] – Either ****Time skip**** or Jumping to a ****Different situation**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, but I definitely pretend that I'm Eiichiro Oda…sometimes…..heeeheheehehee :D**

**xXOOOXx**

**Title:**

**YOUR CURSE, MY SALVATION**

**xXOOOXx**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Luffy was picking some stray leaf that got stuck in between the threads of his straw hat. He was concentrating too hard on the task that he didn't notice the person who just came in his room. The closing of the door was as silent as the whisper of the wind blowing through his wide-open windows, gently making his silk curtains dance with its unpredictable rhythm. The young prince carefully slipped his pinky finger in to draw out the leaf and had a bit of wonder in his expression after taking it out. The leaf was actually a petal. Its color resembled a crossover of peach and the blushing face of a maiden. He didn't find it odd but seemed to smile at the interesting patterns on the petal as he took a closer look.

"Interesting…" He murmured and then straightened up after putting it between the pages of the nearest adventure book lying on his desk.

Luffy sighed.

"Welcome back, father." He said as he turned to face the King. Shanks was sporting a wide grin and this made him a little curious.

"Let's take a ride, shall we?" The red-haired King said and waited for his son to rise from his chair and follow his lead.

Luffy had been silent as they walked towards the horse stall. Both of them didn't bother changing into their riding suits for the two were considered the best riders in their empire and Shanks had the inkling that Luffy didn't want to be told of the small issues at this moment. Besides, the King had some explaining to do.

"Ready?" He asked.

Luffy gently rubbed the muzzle of his stallion, whispered something to his beast, and swiftly leaped up to sit on the saddle. He gave a side-glance to his father and only gave a nod at his direction before nudging the side of his horse and charging towards the field. Shanks was a bit taken aback by his son's unusual behavior and immediately trailed after his son.

...

"Luffy!" The red-haired King called.

They have been running around the field towards the garden and then back again in a tireless, non-stop bout of chasing each other. No words have been exchanged yet; just the downpour of sweat and exhaustion of energy.

"Lu—[cough]—Luffy!" Shanks called out for like the fiftieth time. He saw his son turning once again for the garden and disappearing at once from his sight. He halted his stallion and a portion of the grass was scraped off of the ground, leaving only the rough marks of his horse's hooves digging the earth to stop his motion. Shanks sighed and took in a deep breath.

"Luffy!" This time he didn't shout. He used the voice meant to command and the tone was serious enough that after a few moments later, Luffy boldly answered him back with a fog of flying pebbles and dirt. Shanks had to cover his whole face to save himself from showing vulnerability in front of his son. Unfortunately, the dirt still reached one of his eyes and the smallest particles of earth went through his nose. He tried to impede his coughing and tearing eye.

"Luffy…you…" He spoke and went through a coughing fit. Water came out from both of his eyes, with the right one being so irritated it was red and tears were continuously flowing out. "Why do you have to be so mean!" Shanks whined and began wiping at his eyes like a child, using his knuckle and his sleeves to wipe off the dirt from his face.

Luffy's shadowed face slowly distorted into a maniac smile and then fragmented into a grin. A few minutes later, he was cracking up by the messed up appearance of his father.

"You! You look—! You look…! Oh, you're disgusting!" Luffy was now part sitting, part lying on his horse and had nearly fallen down from his stallion from laughing. He was cracking because Shanks looked more like a five-ear-old child with snots all over his face than a fierce ruler of the Red Empire.

"Whose fault is that!" Shanks accused and wiped clean the last of his tears before crossing his arms in front of his chest. He waited for Luffy to calm down and stared at his son's form.

_Zeff told me his appetite has almost gone back to normal today…but he still looks so thin. He has also stopped talking to me about his dreams._

Shanks had on a thoughtful expression and wasn't instantly aware that Luffy was now looking back at him; laughing all gone.

"Man, you made me hungry by all that chasing and running around. Come on, let's go back."

"What are you going to tell me, father?" Luffy spoke before the King could turn around his horse.

"That I'm hungry and we're going back to the castle to have a feast!" Shanks grinned but it immediately faltered and turned into a pout when he saw Luffy's expression. The young prince wasn't mad, he was even considering the thought of eating as well, but he had to know why Shanks went to visit another Kingdom without at least informing him.

"Are you feeling better these past few days?" Shanks had to ask. Sure, he never fails to visit his son everyday and check on his condition but it seems like every time he does, something's changing in his son. Luffy had been acting kind of odd lately but the King would rather fall that worry in his son's unpredictable character sometimes. The young prince had gone to eating two slabs of meat instead of his usual seven or more. He never would've entertained the King's everyday invites to accompany him in his drinking sessions, but Luffy has even told him that he sleeps better with the kick of alcohol in his system.

Luffy didn't want to answer the question he doesn't know the answer of. Because of the strange things that has happened to him since the day he ate the 'fruit', he has been experiencing bizarre deviations from his usual self. Those were not harmful, though except from the few times he was near collapsing whenever he exhausts himself too much. Just like today…

Shanks noticed his son's form slowly breaking its focused gait. He was beginning to slouch and his eyes were gradually closing, despite Luffy's efforts to stay awake.

"We'll talk after supper." Shanks whispered as soon as he caught his son. The red-haired King had instantly gotten off his horse and approached Luffy when the young prince seemed to have lost balance and began to slip off.

…

"What! Ughhh…! I missed dinner! I can't miss dinner! I'm hungry! I'm hungry now…" Luffy's whine trailed off as his stomach growled its protest. Shanks had brought him straight to his quarters after their afternoon horseback riding out in the fields.

"Oh calm down, Luffy. I'll look for some left overs in the kitchen later. First you have to tell me what you talked about with Uncle. Did he say why he visited the neighboring country?" Nami stood up from the chair beside her cousin's bed and decided to sit on Luffy's velvet comforter, making shooing gestures to make the young prince provide her some space.

Luffy sighed and rubbed his palm at the back of his neck.

"We didn't talk about anything."

"Huh? What do you mean you didn't talk about anything? You two were out there three whole hours in the afternoon."

"I mean…we weren't able to. He invited me to ride with him. I got excited and honestly, I got annoyed with his dilly-dallying. We intended to talk but we ended up racing each other until I became too exhausted for the conversation."

This time, it was Nami who sighed.

"You never learn, Luffy. For now, until we find the solution to your—" The ginger-haired girl pointed at the young prince, trying to avoid speaking of her cousin's condition as an illness. "—you need to set limits to your activities. Your body's energy level isn't the same as before. You have to take precautions. Also, you're making me think twice about taking you out again tomorrow." The last sentence woke up Luffy's attention.

"Tomorrow?!" Luffy practically screamed at Nami's face.

"Don't be so loud Luffy!" Nami whispered, her eyes moving right and left to feel if somebody may have heard them. She backed away a little from her cousin and adjusted herself to stand.

"Where are you going?"

"To get you some dinner." Nami smiled after poking Luffy's nose with her index finger. She turned around and gave a 'wait for me' gesture towards Luffy before leaving the room.

There was a knock on the door moments after Nami left.

"Can I come in?" Luffy immediately recognized the familiar voice.

"Of course." He called out. Then the light sound of door creaking open and clicking close was heard. There were no heavy footsteps that followed. Only the brushing of fabric against woolen carpet indicated the arrival of the man.

A brief eye-to-eye contact was made between father and son. Shanks made his way towards the chair near Luffy's bed and carefully laid down the tray of food on the bedside table.

"I brought your dinner." Shanks was smiling as he said so.

"I thought Nami…"

"Nami? I know she is already asleep."

_Nami must have sneaked in to be able to go to my room. _Luffy thought and pretended to yawn as if showing he just woke up.

"What time is it, anyway?" The young prince asked while eyeing the food his father brought in.

"It's almost eleven…and you must know that Nami never misses to sleep before the small hand reaches ten." Shanks reached for the bowl of soup and handed a spoon to Luffy. The prince in turn finished it in five scoops. He let his son ate until the last saucer that contained dessert was given back to him.

"Ah~hh! I'm full. That was delicious." Luffy spoke. His expression was filled with bliss and satisfaction. He was petting his stomach like it was another being. Seconds later, he suddenly crouched over and winced. Shanks came to him in an instant.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain? Do you feel something wrong in your stomach? I shouldn't have brought you a lot. And it's already late. Chopper even warne—" The King was cut off by the boisterous laughing of his son.

"Ahh—I'm—I'm fine!" Luffy giggled. "I was just…joking! You're—you're expression was hilarious!" His side started to hurt. "Honestly! I can't believe you would fall for that!" Luffy knew the joke was mean but he couldn't forget how much Shank's face distorted in that weird kind of expression. His eyes had instantly turned blank in a way that it looked like a mirror. It reflected a storm of images battling through those hazel orbs and piercing other movements of his face to a stand still. It was as if a memory had been brought clear.

Luffy finally stopped laughing altogether and noticed the withdrawn atmosphere afterwards.

"I…" The young prince hesitated. He was now feeling guilty for making his father worry to that extreme. "I'm fine, really." Luffy sighed at the shadowed expression of his father. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for…" He trailed off.

When Shanks raised his head to look at his son once more, his lips were pulled up in a grin.

"I know, silly!" He ruffled Luffy's hair. "I'm a better actor than you are! See? I made you feel sorry."

Even with those words, both knew the real feelings of each other.

"Well! Now that you've finally taken your much-awaited dinner…let's have that talk, shall we?"

…

"Are you alright, Nami?"

Luffy and Nami were on their way to town. The bustling crowd around them didn't do well to the young duchess' mood. And the consistent sound of their horses' hooves against the bare ground wasn't much to her liking. Yesterday had been the first time she ever dared to break her routine particularly in her sleeping schedule.

_When she went down to the palace's kitchen, she found that there was no food left. Every pot and dishes were all washed and placed back on the cabinet. She was about to go back when a thought made her stop. She knew very well that her cousin was hungry and it wouldn't do any good to let Luffy sleep without anything to fill his stomach. So being the concerned cousin that she was, thinking of making Luffy give her a really huge ruby as payment for her efforts afterwards, she decided to make him a simple stew. While Nami wasn't a great cook she still made decent dishes. _

_Placing all the sliced up ingredients and mixed sauce in a medium-sized pot, she lit up the stone stove and considered something. Nami picked up the pole used for picking fruits and grabbed a canvass fabric, used to cover breads, as a makeshift cloak. On her way out of the kitchen, she grabbed a small basket. It was a good thing the light she switched on didn't reach the only clock present in the room. If it did, the gift she was going to ask of Luffy would equal the price of a vacation house._

"_Come! On!" Nami had been reaching for the mikan oranges she could smell was ripe enough to be eaten. The ones in easier rich were still much too young and couldn't yet be consumed. The pole was, to say the least, a bit heavy for her to carry and so she couldn't control it the direction it should go to. Also, it was her first time doing to picking by herself and in the middle of the night. _

_After a few more tries, by some god watching her, a miracle happened. With another random waving of her pole, seven mikans finally loosened from its stem. Nami was able to get the basket and catch them all as they fell._

_The duchess felt so accomplished as she went back to the kitchen, not minding the dirt that was now staining her dress. She laid down the basket on the table and was immediately alarmed by the smell and sound of the stew she left with the stove on. Running for it, two thick pot gloves covering her hands, she threw water on the stove and took off the pot's lid. The burnt smell that came out made her dizzy and tears came out of her eyes. _

_This is so…ugghh! A vein throbbed on her temple. But before it could form into a wrinkle, Nami breathed in a huge amount of air and coughed out the burnt smoke. With a last look at the mess of her stew, she decided it's best to leave the cleaning as an added duty for the maids tomorrow. The duchess washed her hands and followed cleaning the mikans she picked. She sliced them into pieces and arranged them on a platter._

"_Luffy shouldn't complain about this." She stomped out of the kitchen without so much as a look back. _

"Oh yes! I'm perfectly fine!" Her sarcasm was obvious. "Totally…" She grumbled.

"I saw the sliced mikans you left. I ate them." Luffy tried once again.

"Well, you should. I destroyed one of my night dresses in exchange for those."

"You look…" Luffy was about to say 'tired', but then it would result to an endless accuse of Nami having to break her before-ten sleeping schedule, her making a waste of her efforts in cooking for him, the one reminder that he should pay her with a new dress, and the fact that she was now sporting a barely visible to a normal human's perspective eye bags. "You would look great in the new dress I ordered for you." Luffy said instead. And made a mental note to order a beautiful gown for her cousin once they return to the palace.

Nami looked at him with a sweet smile, hands clasped together.

"A ruby necklace wouldn't hurt as well." She said, giggling.

…

"I almost forgot!" Her face turned serious and she alighted from her horse when they arrived at the same tree where they have tied their horses yesterday. Luffy got off as well. Once he saw the boy who will take care of their beasts while they're gone, he handed him a couple of silvers. The boy was the fabric stand owner's grandson and their store was located just in front of the tree where the horses are now securely tied.

"Please give them water and some grass." He whispered to the boy and the little one was more than enthusiastic to nod at his request. "And buy yourself and your grandpa some snacks." He added while handing a few more pieces of silver. The boy was surprised and was about to protest by the amount of silver.

"Thi—this is too much..nii-chan." The boy said. Luffy was happy that the little one remembered his wish to be called nii-chan instead of a formal address like 'Mister'.

The young prince waved his head and placed the boy's other hand over the palm where he put the silver. It was a silent gesture saying 'keep it' and the boy showed he understood by giving another nod.

Luffy and Nami left. They both came back to town to watch the next episode of One Piece. Clearly, it was a relief that the show was scheduled in the afternoon for they have gone out of the castle later than they planned. Nami had woken up, for the very first time, later than her usual eight o'clock and for some particular reason, took time looking for cloaks to be used for herself and her cousin. She had to look at the back of her closet so that the maids wouldn't recognize them if ever they were spotted; considering they were going out right after lunch.

"So you've got something to tell me now?" Nami asked as they walked through the many stores lining up the path towards the theater. Last night, she didn't have the chance to talk with her cousin as soon as she saw Shanks coming out of Luffy's quarters. It was obvious the two had a talk for the red-haired King had a strange expression on his face. He also would have known that she had been there in Luffy's room before him if it wasn't for whatever unknown thoughts that were clouding his senses. And the King wouldn't miss the fact that her dress was emitting some kind of woodsy smell.

"I came back to your room to give you the mikans but you were pretending to be asleep so I didn't push another talk with you."

Luffy sighed as his suspicion that Nami knew something was not right last night was confirmed.

"In the next three months…you know I'm turning twenty one, right?" He started.

"Yes, yes. How could I forget? Now wha—" Nami was impatient but the sole sentence Luffy gave away already made a whirl of thoughts in her mind. "Wait~…Don't tell me—You—? Am I…am I thinking right? I mean…it's—not…final...yet—ri~ght…?" The young duchess spoke in broken sentence. It was very unlike her but that was how she dealt with surprise. Shock even.

"I think by the way you're speaking, yes. You are thinking right." Luffy held his head as it was beginning to throb. "I don't want to get married yet, you know?" The young prince whined.

Nami's face was in horror.

"The—then…who will be your bride?" She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Whom will you be married to?" She repeated in a more audible phrase.

Luffy paused. The way the young prince's expression changed scared Nami.

"Father left today to invite all the Yonko in our palace. Yesterday, the reason he left was to speak with the Astrologia Kingdom's scholars."

Nami knew the ability of the scholars from that Kingdom and the greatest astrologist, Madam Sharley, was responsible for protecting their treasure and so-called sacred crystal that was bestowed upon them. Nami knew of her ability to foresee the future. But that information wasn't really the thing the duchess was concerned about, it was Luffy mentioning the group of powerful emperors his father was currently meeting up with.

"You don't mean..! Is Uncle serious?!" Nami couldn't help but raise her voice. Some people looked at them and the duchess bowed a little as an apology. Her position in the palace couldn't be revealed to the commoners as well.

"He's engaging me to one of them." Luffy's words resulted Nami this unexplainable betrayed expression. "Of course I didn't agree." He added lamely, as if to console his cousin.

"Then tell me why he is still inviting them in our kingdom!" The duchess hissed in anger. It was very unlike her to act the way she was doing, more importantly when they were currently outside and some people were already watching their exchange. Though by the expressions of the bystanders, they thought the two of them were just a couple having a kind of misunderstanding.

"I didn't agree…but he is the King."

"He's still your father and you're still his son. Wouldn't he consider that? I think I know Uncle better than you do. If you just talk to hi—"

"I have a responsibility." Luffy cut her off. She backed away from it.

After a minute of silence, the duchess spoke.

"And that responsibility implies that you shall choose your own fate." The prince's eyes widened at the silent retort he received from his cousin.

She was right.

She's always…well, almost always right about what he was really feeling.

"But could I just right out defy him?" Luffy asked with a face telling 'this is ridiculous'.

Nami smiled at this.

"You're stubborn like that. Anyway, you're already defying his wishes. And just to remind you, we're going to be late for the show."

"Ah!" As if Luffy was struck, his eyes widened even further. "Come on! I don't wanna miss One Piece!" He pulled his cousin with him towards the theater even with her protesting at his non-too-gentle hauling.

It was guaranteed that there would be no luck finding unoccupied seats and he thought of buying gifts for Nami before they go home when he saw audiences pushing their way into the crowd for a better view as he knew in himself that he was going to do just that.

…

"I am so gonna make you buy me a whole new wardrobe!" Nami groused while checking her dress for other damage. So far in her counting, there were six tears, seven stains of god knows what, three scratches, and an ugly hole on her gown. The cloak she was wearing over it had no fight at all from the battle they had come out from. Almost ten inches of its hem was wrecked from suffering thick, mudded soles of different boots.

"I thought I just entered a gladiator arena."

By this time, they have both decided to remove their cloaks. Its mangled state would make people curious about them in a bad way rather than think they were from the royal palace. Besides, there wore no ornaments.

"I'll talk with father this evening." Luffy said as he handed Nami a tropical-mixed beverage. He didn't sit and the duchess stared at him in silent question.

"You should." She told him after a few moments of pause.

"I'm glad I brought my hat today!" Nami was almost taken aback by the swift change in the conversation. Luffy's expression indicated nothing of worry as if the earlier topic had suddenly been vanquished from his mind. The young prince wore his hat over his head and gave his cousin a wide grin—the one that was uniquely his.

Nami couldn't help but smile back. It turned into confusion when Luffy began to wave at her and called out that he was just going to look for something in the stores and come back before four. She was hesitant about letting him go, considering the unpredictable stability of his body. But then, she couldn't actually stop him from doing what he wants.

Nami sighed and just concentrated on enjoying her drink. It was not a usual taste on her tongue but it wasn't also totally unfamiliar.

"Shall I do some shopping too?" She thought aloud.

…

Luffy had walked farther than he intended to. He had been looking at stands selling some jewels but the trinkets all looked the same to him aside from the varying colors. It would do no good if he couldn't find something more unique for his cousin—something intricate and original. By the time he was about to give up, he heard a bell clinking by the opening of a door. He caught a glimpse of lined up bracelets from inside and felt that he might just find the right jewel he was looking for.

The young prince entered the store and was a bit confused as to why it didn't have a sign telling customers it was a jewelry store.

"Welcome!" The woman behind the register smiled in greeting. "Oh! You're a new face."

Luffy smiled back.

"Yes. I just—" He cleared his throat. "Do you have something that's quite unique?" The way he tried to save himself from speaking of his origins was lame and the sentence the came out of his mouth clearly a bit confusing.

"I plan on giving a gift. She likes ruby." Luffy said simply. He wasn't used to talking with the people outside their palace. It was either he was fed up with their formality or that he was currently doing the same with this sales lady and now was making her think he was a helpless man with no idea how to court a woman.

"Oh I see. Of course we have something. You've come to the right place." She came out from behind the register and signaled one of her companions inside the store to take over. She then gestured for the young man to follow her inside a room.

As soon they both entered, Luffy knew they were in the inventory of the store. The woman wasn't stopping though and called for him as she went further to another room.

She approached an old-looking cabinet and took out a glass case.

"I just finished this yesterday." She informed him. "I was planning on displaying this next month."

Luffy stared at her in surprise. The question he wanted to ask was obvious.

"I think she will like this. And I can see she is special to you." She chuckled at his expression and moved to carefully seal off the glass case. With long, calloused fingers, she held it in her palm as if it was a delicate object. It really looked like it was.

It was a bracelet. No doubt. And Luffy could tell it was one of a kind. The way the bangle was designed and everything was hand-made, the whole jewelry was beautiful. Nami will surely be happy about this.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I know she will truly like this!" Luffy stared at the bracelet in awe.

The bangle was made of molded gold, with carved like patterns drawn over its surface. Words were engraved on its inside—quotes of love, encouragement, and inspiration. What made it unique was that there was a map inside the orb of the glass-like crystal placed in the middle of the bracelet. It magnified the drawing and a diamond compass arrow was its centerpiece.

"You'll have to wait a few minutes, though." She told him.

"Eh? Is there a problem?"

"It has no rubies. Good thing, I have some in stock. And I know where I can put it in the bracelet."

"Oh. Okay." He returned the bracelet to her.

…

Luffy held the box containing the jewelry inside his pocket. He was careful not to make it obvious that he has with him a very expensive jewelry. He was beginning to worry though, as the promised time he told Nami had long passed. By the color of the sky above him, he could tell that it was about a quarter to five in the afternoon.

He was now nearing the beverage stand where he remembered he found Nami a seat and was practicing his excuses for his late arrival when a cry made him turn around.

"Le—let go of me!" By the sound of the small voice, it seemed to belong to a little girl.

"Uhhh…?" A man growled. His tone was rough as if he had been drinking bad-tasting rum, not aged properly.

"You've got a lot of silver there, kid. Let us see that pouch of yours!" Another man spoke up, reaching out his hand and flexing his fingers towards him in a 'give it to me' gesture.

The kid held the pouch tighter to her chest.

"Just give it to us and nothing will happen to you." Followed another.

Luffy counted the number of men trying to harass the kid. There were five of them and the other two were staying silent as they watched their companions do the threatening. It was unfortunate how only a few stores were the only ones left open at this time of the day and the owners were all either grannies or grandpas. It couldn't be helped that they would be scared to step in a drunken crime of low lives. The young prince has completely forgotten the warnings of his guards about this part of town implementing their own curfews to avoid these kinds of commotions.

He gritted his teeth. He was never good at choosing the most reasonable decision.

_What could he do? How he wished the kid would just give the bag of silvers. He couldn't act reckless at this time or he would risk alerting the royal guards from the palace if ever the situation got out of hand. _

_But the kid is in danger. As the future ruler of this kingdom, he couldn't just stand around and do nothing. He has the duty to solve this virus beginning to infect the Red Empire's town._

Looking around as he remained still, he clutched the box in his pocket.

_Nami…_

Luffy looked back. This time, he could already see Nami at their meeting place and was about to wave at the approaching duchess in relief when he chose to hold back to avoid attracting attention. For a moment he was worried but he knew she wouldn't think of leaving him in town. By the look of her face though, it looked like she had been searching for him, sporting that very familiar annoyed expression. He wanted to call her as a signal that he was already there but then the girl's cry gained back his full attention.

His eyes widened at how the situation has instantly escalated into serious danger. He couldn't just stand there anymore while staring at the knife carelessly pointed at the kid's throat.

"NO! I won't give this to you! This was given to me by a gentleman! He said I should use this to buy myself and my grandpa a snack!" She was wildly thrashing even with the knife already near her neck. "Why don't you try working and earning yourself some money!" She shouted.

"That kid…" Luffy's eyes widened. "Could it be…!"

The young prince was now running directly towards the man holding the knife, hat lowered firmly on his head. In a swift movement, he shoved the knife out of the drunken man's grip and charged the man on his right with his shoulder. He took the girl in his arms and was nearly away from the group's range when a dagger pierced through the flesh near his elbow. The girl began to slip away from him as his clutch loosened and he looked in horror as another dagger was already flying towards them with the kid as its aim. Luffy was too focused on shielding the girl that he failed to notice a rope had been successfully wounded around his ankle. He turned his head and was surprised to see the other two men [who had been watching in silence before] moving to catch him like a prey.

"I'll let go of you. Run and tell the girl with the ginger hair not to wait for me!" He whispered in fast mumble of words before the side of his face met the ground in a blinding impact. Luffy completely eased his grip and let go of the girl the safest way possible. Even while he was being dragged harshly on the rough surface of the earth, he listened to the hurried footsteps of the girl heading towards where Nami is.

"You bastard!" A hard tip of a boot hit his side. Several others followed.

The young prince coughed at the beating.

"What are you gonna do about our silver? You've got something there, huh?!"

One heavy sole was about to pound on his head but one of the men who had skillfully wounded a rope around his ankle kicked the man on the gut.

The drunken man clutched his stomach in pain.

_They weren't…part of the—em..? _Luffy thought as the dirt that resulted from his earlier fall fogged his vision.

A few moments after, a hand grabbed a chunk of his hair and pulled him up through it. Luffy panicked inwardly as he realized his hat might have flown off by the suddenness of his fall. He opened his eyes and was face to face with the other enemy.

"Wha—ckkhhh…what!—Do yo—u…khh! Want!" He shouted despite the thick fingers closed firmly around his throat.

"You." The man's eyes were piercing as he looked at Luffy straight in the eye. Something in the depths of those dark orbs made the young prince shiver. The feeling was unknown and yet boundless in its blood-curling effect in him.

The man leaned forward. "I've found you." He whispered in Luffy's ear.

_What…?_

Despite the confusion, the young prince couldn't stop trembling.

_Did the man recognize him? _He didn't understand what his words were trying to imply.

"I can't believe you would expose yourself like this…" The other man who had only been watching them smirked in that twisted way that Luffy could frighteningly remember from his dreams.

"…Your Highness." He finished; tone mocking and ironically amused.

Luffy was beginning to have a difficulty in stabilizing his breathing. He began moving to dislodge himself from his captor but his present strength was no longer enough to help him escape. His body was starting to suffer from air loss and the tremendous ache developing in his head reduced the clarity of his senses.

_This couldn't be happening…not at this moment. _He tried to grasp for consciousness the way he was trying to grab the collar of the man holding him up.

_I need..to get…awa~y…_

_I need to fight…_

_I need to st—!_

"You girls are annoying! Dragging me here..!" A deep voice alerted the group of the unknown man's presence. All of their eyes landed on the set of people who just arrived.

By the look of the man's stance, one short figure and a taller one was pushing him towards their location.

"Come on, now! You're the only passerby who looked like you can fight!"

_Huh? _

It was Nami's voice.

"Yeah! Help nii-chan! If you don't, I'm going to bite you again!"

"You two!" The man growled. "And kid! Don't you dare bite me aga—Ahhhh!" The girl from earlier was mercilessly plunging down her milk teeth on the man's wrist.

"Go there, now!" She screamed at him and pointed at Luffy's direction.

The man was still grumbling his frustration about these annoying pair of girls and began to argue with the little kid.

"Oh my god!" Nami's hands immediately shot over the sides of her face as she saw Luffy's state. She was very well aware that her cousin didn't have strength left considering the damage he took and the hours he had been out for this day. She was sure his body's current condition has reached its limit and that fact may have been aggravated by his prolonged exposure and lack of rest.

The man whom they forced to come with them heard her and directed his eyes to the situation in front of them.

"This is troublesome." He sighed and finally started to address the scene.

"Go! Go swordsman! Get them!" The girl cheered for him.

He faced them.

Two men started backing away, one was being brave by changing his stance in a fighting position, and the one holding the girls' friend didn't move an inch; the other straightened up and only gave him a bored expression.

"A bunch of fools…" He sighed again.

One man charged and the weapon he was holding was instantly crushed.

"Wha—" He didn't have the chance to finish his sentence as his body was thrown off meters away from the location and was out cold when he hit the back of a thick trunk.

Nami and the girl were both awed.

"Mo—Monster!" The drunken man who was with him screamed at the dangerous look the swordsman was wearing and ran away together with his other companion.

The swordsman scratched the back of his neck.

"What a waste of time. And I should be looking for that shop by now…"

The sound of metal against metal reminded him of the other two men who was still there, and of course the friend of the girls who ruined the schedule of his store search.

"Tell me you know how to fight." He told the man facing him with daggers in between each of his fingers and even one on his lips.

"Well…that's more like it." He said before raising one of his swords to block the lightning speed attack from the enemy.

**xXOOOXx**

**End of chapter!**

**Hope you like the update. I'm sorry if it's coming off to you as somehow dragging. But anyway, I have tried my best to finish this chapter until three in the morning…dawn…whatever. And yes, I'm sorry if the latter part of my writing isn't making much sense anymore. I apologize.**

**Still! IT's an introduction to Zoro's entrance! I think it was obvious by the way I wrote it.**

**Hoping for your reviews! Thanks!**


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